Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tire lubricator device of a tire testing machine.
Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, a rotation test has been performed while a tire is attached to a rim of a tire testing machine when the tire needs to be tested. However, in order to smoothly attach and detach the tire to and from the rim, a lubrication liquid (lubricant) is applied to a bead portion of a tire as a test subject. The application of the lubrication liquid is performed in a tire lubricator device provided in the tire testing machine.
For example, a tire lubricator device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No 8-257460 includes a conveying unit that conveys a tire in a predetermined direction while the tire is placed thereon so that the shaft center of the tire faces the vertical line, a positioning unit that positions the tire at a predetermined position of the conveying unit, a rotation unit that rotates the tire about the shaft center thereof while the tire is positioned at the position, and an application unit that applies a lubricant to a bead portion of the rotating tire. The application unit includes an application roller that applies the lubricant to the bead portion of the tire. In a case where the application is performed, the application roller is moved upward so as to be inserted into a center hole of the tire, and then the application roller is pressed along the horizontal direction so that the lubricant may be applied to the bead portion of the tire rotated by the rotation unit.
Further, a tire lubricator device disclosed in Japanese Patent No 4426940 is adapted to apply the lubricant to the bead portion of the tire by pressing the application roller moved upward by the operation of an elevation air cylinder against the bead portion of the tire as illustrated in FIG. 2 or 5 of the same patent document.